Fifteen Years
by ForgottenStorm87
Summary: Answer to the Endless Reflections Challenge: Fifteen years after the end of the series, the world remembers the fallen soldiers that sacrificed everything at the Eve Wars Ball. Life has gone on and the Gundam crew has gone on with it. Families have been made and bonds have been formed in this "Where are they now?" story. So Friends, enjoy! 1XR, 2XH, 3XOC, 4XC, 5XS, 6XN


[A.N.] Hello! This is my answer to the fifteen years Endless Reflections Challenge. Now i know the challenge was to pick a point in the series that meant the most to me or that had a huge impact on my life. My answer to the fact that i didn't pick one is that i couldn't pick one. I couldn't pick one moment because Gundam Wing has meant so much to me. I met my best friend of thirteen years and bonded together over our mutual love of the show. I have used quoted from almost every character and talked out many stories of our own for many many years now. Reading the fanfiction gave me an escape. It helped me deal with my troubled teen years. I couldn't pick one moment because the whole series means the world to me. These characters are not just characters, they are my friends and my family. That being said, I enjoyed writing this continuation of their lives and i hope you enjoy reading it!

~Most Sincerely,

Serene Storm

* * *

 **After Colony 210: Mankind has enjoyed peace for the last fifteen years following a battle between Milliardo Peacecraft of White Fang and Treize Khushrenada of the United Earth's Forces on Christmas Eve. This battle had been waged to decide the fate of the world; the end result being the death of a world leader and the birth of a new world order: the United Earth-Sphere Nation. With the exception of a small coup de tat staged by Dekim Barton in an attempt to rule the world, peace had been maintained with one last intervention of the Gundams as well as through the cooperation of Earth and their sister colonies unified through negotiations and communications mediated by the UESN Councils.**

 **On This Christmas Eve night, politicians from all across the universe had gathered at the presidential hall at the Eve Wars Ball to celebrate and remember all those who fought for the peace that they had so freely enjoyed. With the help of Preventer and the cooperation of an all-inclusive government, "Peace on Earth" and "Goodwill towards men" had finally been made a reality.**

Trowa fidgeted with the bowtie around his neck. He hated getting all dressed up, especially to be surrounded by perfect strangers. He worked in the big-top but as far as he was concerned, this was the real circus. He took a small drink of the ginger ale in his glass. He wasn't a fan of alcohol and a good soldier never drank in situations where a clear head was needed at all times. It wasn't that he was paranoid; old habits merely died hard. He felt a petite hand grip his arm reassuringly. Serene had been a pleasant result of an interesting turn of events in his life that spawned from Catherine's marriage to his best friend.

It started on one of Quatre's many visits to the circus. During one of the many conversations, Quatre had overheard Catherine mention how she loved Trowa like a brother which turned into a conversation about how she'd lost her real brother in an accident. After a time, Quatre began to postulate that-perhaps with Trowa's lack of a past and Catherine's loss of a brother-that perhaps the bond she felt to him had been exactly that. It had been quite the surprise when Quatre offered to pay the money for a DNA test that proved he and Cathy were truly brother sister separated years ago when their Circus caravan had been attacked.

Still, even before that, Quatre had made sure to visit them regularly. It hadn't taken Trowa long to realize the blond man wasn't just coming for the sake of their friendship. Quatre and Cathy had taken to one another rather well and Trowa had been all too proud to walk her down the aisle and give her away to his best friend. Catherine wasn't the type to set down roots, but the love they found had been enough of an incentive to encourage her to do so. Serene had talents that rivaled Cathy's and was recruited as a replacement act in the show's rotation.

He gave his date a small smile. She had an odd way of knowing when he needed reassuring and working together as they did in their acts did nothing but strengthen the delicate, but ever growing bond that had formed between them. He wouldn't have come except Relena had asked all of the personally on behalf of the UESN. He hadn't had it in him to say, especially with Quatre and Serene urging him into it.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Quatre and Mrs. Winner walked up to them, arm-in-arm. His sister wasted no time in hugging him and Serene while Quatre resorted to shaking his hand.

"I am so glad you decided to join the celebration, Trowa." Quatre smiled.

"Serene wouldn't let me say no." He responded, earning him a chastising look from his sister.

"He wanted to come! He just needed some persuasion." She smiled and Trowa felt a slight blush heat his cheeks.

"Are you blushing, little brother?"

"Cathy, you shouldn't give him such a hard time." Her husband softly corrected her. Trowa breathed a small sigh of relief. "Relena will be so glad to see that we're all here. Have you seen her yet?"

"Yes, and Serene was all too eager to meet her."

"Well apparently we're supposed to be getting recognized tonight as the heroes of the Eve Wars. I have mixed feelings about it though. The war happened long ago and every soldier that fought in it is a hero no matter what side or how many battles they fought in."

"What a weak thing to say, Winner," came a voice behind them.

"Wufei, I might have known you'd be close by. Where is your better half?" Cathy asked.

"She is currently talking with Colonel Une about the rest of the security measures for this evening."

"Always on the job."

"I only came over here to make sure you all reported to the stage in five minutes. Those medals are the highest honor the UESN has to offer. It would be an act of dishonor to all those who did die and therefore cannot be here if you refuse."

Trowa knew Quatre took the chastisement with a grain of salt. No one felt more seriously about honoring the dead than Wufei. He meant no insult. He obviously shared the feelings that no doubt all of the pilots had.

"I have yet to locate Maxwell. Yuy, however, I know is here and will show himself when it's time." Wufei continued.

"If I know Duo, he's most likely hitting up the buffet table or spiking the punch." Quatre said, smiling. No one disagreed with his assumption.

* * *

Zechs Marquise watched as his younger sister stood next to the President as they ceremonially honored the Gundam pilots. She had grown into a remarkable woman, the spitting image of their mother with more influence than anyone could have ever predicted. Her work as a Peacecraft representative opened the door for him to start a life of his own with the woman who had stood by him no matter how flawed his perception of the world had become. He had helped create a new settlement on a formerly barren planet and in the process, created a place to raise his new family.

He and Noin had left their children at their apartment. The two thirteen year olds were more than capable of staying home alone. After the terraforming project had been complete and Mars was finally being colonized, Zechs had made proposed to Noin leading to a quiet ceremony before a justice of the peace. Relena had yet to meet her twin niece and nephew, but he planned on surprising her in the morning as a sort of Christmas present.

He smiled with pride as Relena placed the medals around the necks of the five young men who had-as the president put it-'so valiantly defied the orders of a would-be tyrant to protect the Earth as well as the colonies no matter how complicated or blurred the lines of battle had been'. Zechs, too had been offered a medal, but had declined. The world wasn't ready to see him. He had fought in the coup de tat staged by Marie Maia, but that had been the first and only time he had publicly shown his face since his supposed death in the final battle fifteen years before. His presence in the battle had been counted as more of a rumor right alongside the ghost of Treize Khushrenada. He had almost laughed when he heard the various things people said about him and his old friend. If only Treize himself could see this new world.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Noin said jokingly as she tucked her arm into his.

"I was just thinking how proud father and mother would be of Relena." Noin gave him 'the look' that said 'I don't believe you', but obviously decided to play along.

"They would be proud of you too."

"Noin…" He didn't know how to respond. He had discarded his birthright and brought the death and destruction of hundreds of soldiers. His father's pacifistic ways would never have approved of his militaristic career choice. His path of vengeance had left him unfit to call himself their son. Still, he hoped that on some level, his wife was right.

"You're still so hard on yourself." She continued. "You are a brave soldier, a doting husband and a loving father. You have found happiness in this time of peace. I think that that is really what your father would have wanted for you." He gave her hand a firm squeeze.

"What would I do without you?"

"You will never have to find out."

"I hope not." He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer as the ceremony dragged on. He did not, however, miss the looks that passed between his sister and the former pilot of Gundam 01 as he rose from his kneeling position, the medal now resting against his chest. He stiffened which was immediately followed by his wife's soft laugh.

"Always the protective brother."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He responded which only mad his wife laugh more; a sound he never tired of hearing.

* * *

He watched her twirl around the dance floor; a picture of grace and beauty. Women wanted to be her and men wanted to 'get with her' as the magazines so awkwardly stated. She hated those tabloids; they objectified her in a way that she never saw herself. She never could see just how special she truly was, especially to those that really knew her. He watched in amusement as her current dance partner let his hands wander to an inappropriately low level on her back. She wasted no time in elegantly correctly his "mistake" by removing his hand and chastising him softly. Heero watched as the flustered man, mumbled what must have been an apology and excused himself.

He couldn't really blame the man. In the fifteen years he'd known her, she had become quite the woman. She still possessed the same commanding presence and poise as she had when they were teens but time had molded her body and mind with the skilled hand of maturity into a true political force to be reckoned with.

"Whoa, the princess sure gave him the brush off, didn't she? I thought he'd be lying flat on the ground with a black eye for touching your girl."

"Relena can take care of herself. I protect her from assassins, not half-drunk letches."

"So the rumors are true then? She is your girl! Way to go, Pally boy!" So typical of Duo to only get what he wanted from a sentence.

"Is there a point to this interruption, Duo?"

"Pardon me for wanting to wish my best friend a Merry Christmas. So typical of you to be working on a holiday, again. Déjà vu."

"Her protection is-"

"A round the clock responsibility… yeah yeah I know. It's the Eve Wars Remembrance Ball and we pilots were invited as guests."

"I can protect her better from her."

"Sure, but I bet she'd rather have you out there." Heero felt himself roll his eyes. This wasn't the time to debate his current choice of evening tasks. "Come on, Heero. Trowa has a girlfriend in the circus, Catherine and Quatre have been married for years now and even Wufei and Sally have tied the knot and you know none of us saw that coming."

Heero knew of those recent developments. He had been present at their weddings; he had kept her security tightened. Although, he had to admit, it was nice to see his friends and comrades move to the next stage of their lives.

"Look, buddy, all I'm saying is that the wars ended a long time ago. The world has moved on. Maybe it's time you did too." Heero stared at Relena again and for a moment their eyes locked. An unspoken message exchanged between them in that instant.

"By the way, pal, congratulate me! You're about to be an uncle again!"

"How many does this make now?" Heero said the hint of a smile on his lips.

"We're up to four now; of course Donna and Dana were twins. Danny and Donny are the oldest two. We're not sure what we're having next but the tie-breaker will be interesting." Heero shook his head. Duo and Hilde had been the first of their circle to marry and settle down, though it was a few years after their first son had been born.

"Congratulations."

"Gee, don't get all emotional or nothin'." Heero smirked. He and Duo had a strange sort of friendship that he never expected to have considering the first time they met, the braided man had held him at gun-point. If Relena hadn't been there then, his time on earth would have been numbered. By all rights, he hadn't expected to live this long anyway. He had been more than ready to let the cruel hands of death pry him from the world sometime during the Eve Wars. He had never expected his saving grace to be in the form of a stubborn honey-haired young woman who had stared death in the face and challenged it in the name of everything she believed in.

As cheesy as some would say it was, Relena truly had been his guiding light in his dark battle-torn world. He threatened her with death and still she followed him, cheered him on and believed in him when he could never find a way to believe in himself. Sometimes he saw her there, that day at St. Gabriel's Academy. Lady Une had gathered a few men to try and kill Relena to cover up the murder of her father. The use of mobile suits had been a way to try and mask the attack as an act of guerrilla war-fare and terrorism.

She could have run; she could have fled with the rest of her classmates and gotten far away but she had stayed behind to help get her friend to safety. When the debris of the tower fell and threatened to crush her, he saw her there, hair billowing in among the dust and wreckage. She had told him she was on his side; had assured him she understood why he fought. In that moment, he left himself vulnerable to an enemy attack just to shield her from the colossal chunk of wall that threatened to snuff out the flame of her existence. In that instant, she unknowingly became the flame of his.

As the evening began to draw to a close, he continued to shadow her; even up to the point where she politely excused herself and withdrew from the festivities. He presence there had been necessary as the Foreign Minister of Universal Relations. She hated the hype and pomp her title came with, but her job was too important to her. As long as she wished to continue to protect the peace, he would continue to protect her.

* * *

Relena kicked off her heels as she entered her bedroom. The night had been long and far too stuffy. She had never enjoyed such puffed up occasions, but if it helped keep the peace then she would dress up and parade around as much as her position required. She had been more than ready to leave after being groped and given enough false compliments to last her a lifetime. At least the occasion had given her a chance to catch up with her friends.

Having received her promotion to Foreign Minister five years ago, her job had entitled her to travel more than ever. Conferences and meeting, luncheons and political paperwork all amounted to a lot of time spent on the job. She had seen her mother only a handful of times in the last several years though calls on holidays and birthdays were never missed. No matter how much time passed, she would never forget the woman who raised her. She was just glad that this particular occasion gave her a reason to see her friends and it didn't hurt that her mother was coming to Christmas dinner the next day.

It had been the President's idea to give the pilots medals for their involvement in the wars and she had been all for it. It had surprised her, however, when Heero had agreed to receive one. Heero was modest; always staying in the shadows and putting out small flames before the fire of rebellions could spread. It had shocked her when he had enrolled with Preventer to be her personal body guard. It was rarely a day that he wasn't by her side, protecting her from everything including her own self-neglect. From random cups of tea being brought to her desk with her favorite sandwich, to waking up in her own bed with no memory of getting there on her own; he was, in so many ways, her guardian angel. The cliché comparison made her feel once more like the naive school girl who found his body on the beach fifteen years ago.

It hadn't escaped her notice how closely he'd watched her tonight. It had been two years since they had decided to take their relationship to the next level. What had been a professional relationship between guard and charge grew to the friendship they already knew was there. Yet, even as they continued to enjoy each other's platonic company, there had always been a small electric current underlying every small touch: a brush of the hand, the brief contact in compact places. Their bond had grown gradually over the years to the point of picking off each other's plates at meal times and staying up late into the night discussing various things that kept them from sleeping.

They had never actually given a title to what they had; it felt so juvenile to think that either one of them would have to say those words when they already behaved like a couple. However, there had been a moment where he came the closest they ever had to saying it. She had been asked to dinner for the hundredth time or so by the representative of the L6 colony cluster. She had, of course, refused the offer, but it hadn't stopped Heero from voicing his opinion on the matter. She remembered the conversation fondly.

"He's not good enough for you." She had pretended to scoff at his words.

"Then who is?" She jokingly taunted. "You?"

"No." He didn't hesitate. His voice was low, but she could hear the shame and sorrow hidden within it.

"Heero…" She went to him then and wrapped her arms around his waist, tucking her head into his chest. "I was teasing." The silence that settled between them was uncomfortable; she hated it.

"I cannot be what you need me to be." She stared into his eyes, moving her hands to the sides of his face.

"I only need you to be you. Nothing more."

"Relena…" He leaned down and kissed her then. It was a soft kiss, not short, not passionate, but yet still filled with so many unspoken feelings. It had been the second kiss; the first had happened almost a life time ago in a mobile suit hanger after Neo White Fang had finally been taken care of.

There had been many kisses since, usually short innocent pecks used as simple shows of thanks or acknowledgments of some sort. A fifteen year courtship was far from typical but with them, speed had never been a necessity. Their relationship, much like a fine wine, only became stronger and better with age. She reached up to undo her necklace only to be interrupted as a strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist and brought her attention to the pair of lips that followed kissing her neck softly. She smiled.

"I missed you tonight." He chuckled, a low, soft rumble that made her breath catch. He was only this way with her and she loved it.

"I was there."

"I know. You always are. I just wish we could have had just one dance."

"The night is still young." He had developed a romantic streak and she loved it. He spun her around and brought her arms around his neck as they swayed back and forth to the silence of the night and beating of their hearts. She noticed he had discarded his tux jacket and left his untied tie dangling unevenly around his neck. He had grown over the years, his body still sleek but now rippled with muscle at his now impressive 5'11". Without her high-heeled shoes, he towered over her. However, his unruly brown hair was still as wild and untamable as his spirit.

"Did you enjoy seeing your friends tonight?" He nodded and then pressed his forehead to hers.

"I enjoyed the way you look in that dress more."

"Heero!" She giggled and felt her cheeks heat with a deep blush. He chuckled and it gave her chills. "Behave." They stayed like that for an unknown amount of time; just him and her dancing in the moonlight to their own rhythm. Finally, he decided to break the silence.

"Are you ready for your Christmas present?" He whispered this in a voice that was almost husky.

"Aren't we supposed to open them on Christmas morning?" She chided, taking a step back to look in his eyes.

"It's almost three. That is morning." He smirked.

"Okay, Captain Obvious. You win. But if we're exchanging gifts, then I want to give you yours first." She broke away from him and walked to the drawer in her bedside table and pulled out a navy blue box with a black and silver ribbon wrapped around it. "Merry Christmas."

As he took the box from her he raised a brow. He was extremely hard to shop for. Not even Duo had had any idea on what to get the perfect soldier. She had finally made the decision to get him a watch: a vid-phone computerized communicator that could be used to track him or, if he chose, to link to one of her tracking devices to find her if ever they were separated.

"Relena…" He smiled as he pulled the watch out and undid the cuffs of his wrists to fasten it.

"Do you like it? I never know what to get you so I thought you might like something practical."

"You never have to get me anything."

"Let's not do that again." She laughed. "Every year we get each other something and every year we remind one another that we don't have to." He grinned at her.

"My turn." He took her hand gently and led her to her bed where he had her sit down. Wait here, and close your eyes." She stared at him for a moment before obeying his request. She heard his soft footfalls on the carpeted floor and then felt him stop in front of her. Every holiday and birthday since they'd met he'd given her a teddy bear, occasionally accompanied by a necklace or her favorite chocolates. It was endearing. She could hardly wait.

"Open your eyes." He was kneeling in front of her, a little black box in his hand. She stared at it, and then her eyes locked with his: aqua to Prussian blue.

"Heero…?"

"I'm not good with words. You know that." He paused. She had never seen him this nervous. "You changed me. You changed my world, and then, you became my world. I will never deserve you and you are more than I deserve, but I cannot continue to exist in this world unless I know I can always be by your side." He pulled the ring out of the box; a simple ring with a princess cut diamond in the middle of a rose-shaped setting in white gold that twisted into a vine engraved with tiny leaves and roses. He mind went to the treaty that was signed that day he'd found her in the garden. He told of her 'Sub Rosa' which meant a well-kept secret. For a long time their love had been a secret from the world as well as from themselves. She felt tears prick her eyes.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." She smiled, half crying, half laughing as he rose up and placed kissed her gently, taking her face in his hands as though she were the most precious thing in the world. When the kiss broke, he smiled and rested his forehead on hers and then slipped the ring onto her finger.

 **After Colony 210: Five young men and their comrades had found a way to exit happily in a world without war. And two star-crossed lovers; lost and alone, had been brought together by a twist of fate: a Prince of the Stars and a Princess of Peace reigning together in a world of their own.**


End file.
